Doctor Who - where to start
- Thread starter XSin
- Start date
Recommended Videos
A friend of mine showed me the first episode with the 11th Doctor just to get me sucked into the whole thing. That was just what got me to make up my mind to watch the series though and when i actually got around to it i watched from "The Christmas Invasion" which was the 10th Doctor's first whole episode.
I kinda felt a bit left out because of the referances to Bad Wolf which took place with the 9th Doctor so i had to go back and watch that before moving on to the 11th so i say you just take it from the beginning 'cause it'll save you a lot of confusion if you already know what's been going on before.
I kinda felt a bit left out because of the referances to Bad Wolf which took place with the 9th Doctor so i had to go back and watch that before moving on to the 11th so i say you just take it from the beginning 'cause it'll save you a lot of confusion if you already know what's been going on before.
I grew up with a healthy dose of Dr Who in my household. My sentimental favourite Doctors are Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison. My parents taped the movie 'The Five Doctors', and I must have watched that at least 50 times.
I don't know why, but I just can't get into the more recent series, even though the rest of my family lap it up. Torchwood on the other hand, I really enjoyed.
I don't know why, but I just can't get into the more recent series, even though the rest of my family lap it up. Torchwood on the other hand, I really enjoyed.
Don't let anyone tell you anything about that episode other than that it's good. Not a single thing. Knowing anything would ruin it. Unless you already know something, in which case hit them.XSin said:
My favorite episode of newwho is the Family of Blood. Also season 3.
Season 3 is really damn good actually.
The cheesy curve shifts quite a bit. Getting notably less cheesy as you get into doctor 10, and then notably more cheesy as you get into 11, with bits of really crunchy drama crackers to go with the cheesy. Although some of Doctor 11's episodes are just Velveeta, and hard to digest on their own.
On a side note, I just started watching the old Who starting with Doc 1. it's really interesting to see where all the enemies and aliens came from. I really recommend giving them a look, they're interesting and they do stories unlike anything in newwho. There is the occasional "What are you people stupid? Don't do what you're doing." you have to let that side in 1960s sci-fi material though.
I started with Nine, then watched Ten and went back to the classic series and watched everything I could.. now, Eleven. It worked for me.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Start at the ninth doctor. There are little references here and there that you will COMPLETELY miss. There is a group on Facebook called 'last of the time lords' that fairly diligently keeps working internet links to every episode 2005 onwards if you're having trouble finding it online.
You don't really get the character to the full degree unless you start from the beginning.
You don't really get the character to the full degree unless you start from the beginning.
ITT: People who have never watched the old series.
Here's the problem with the new series, pacing. The old show had subtlety, and wasn't always just the doctor rushing around trying to save everyone. Most of the time it was just him trying not to get his geriatric ass killed. With the new series it's all, "I am THE DOCTOR! Fear me bad guys! I might look like a dork but I am really legendary warrior! Rawr!"
In the old series he's basically just a dude who stole a "car" with his granddaughter. And is on the run from the feds. And each doctor brought something unique to it. Yes, the special effects were ass but it was 50 years ago for christ's sake. Cut em some slack.
To my mind the place to begin is unquestionably in the beginning. An Unearthly Child. Ian, Barbara and Susan, with one of the crotchetiest crotchety old men you will ever meet playing the doctor. Not all the episodes are great, but many of them are. And it all helps to weave together not just a story, but a mythology.
Consider the parallel. In the new series you have the doctor saving the entire frigging universe in nearly EVER episode, or at the very least a planet. In the old series you have the doctor doing such heroic things as looking for mercury on an undeveloped world! Trying to get back to the tardis to escape! Trying to find missing companions! Or just exploring! Just a "Hey, we're here, but I have no idea where here is and I'm reasonably sure the atmosphere won't kill us the second we open the door. LET'S GO ON AN ADVENTURE!" Pacing again. If you have the entire space time continuum in peril every episode, what's left to risk? Hell, some of my favorite episodes are the ones where the entire thing takes place on the tardis.
And that notion of pacing seems to be one they've forgotten in the new series. Consider EVERY season finale of the last decade or so. Nearly universally they are all almost absurdly over the top. The doctor being saved by people wishing hard enough... Yeah. Full on tinkerbell. I get it, but there's such a thing as subtlety too. Even the master as a villain went from a devious, sociopathic intellectual to cartoon supervillan.
It's not that the new series is bad, it certainly beats the alternative, but something's been lost in translation between 1962 and now. And to me that's a damned tragedy.
If you're looking for a quick and easy jumping on point, and you don't have the patience to sit through the old black and white Hartnells and Troughtons, Start with Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker (Still the quintessential doctor, though Tennant was close). You'll get the advantage of seeing what the series is capable of when they're not competing for ratings.
Here's the problem with the new series, pacing. The old show had subtlety, and wasn't always just the doctor rushing around trying to save everyone. Most of the time it was just him trying not to get his geriatric ass killed. With the new series it's all, "I am THE DOCTOR! Fear me bad guys! I might look like a dork but I am really legendary warrior! Rawr!"
In the old series he's basically just a dude who stole a "car" with his granddaughter. And is on the run from the feds. And each doctor brought something unique to it. Yes, the special effects were ass but it was 50 years ago for christ's sake. Cut em some slack.
To my mind the place to begin is unquestionably in the beginning. An Unearthly Child. Ian, Barbara and Susan, with one of the crotchetiest crotchety old men you will ever meet playing the doctor. Not all the episodes are great, but many of them are. And it all helps to weave together not just a story, but a mythology.
Consider the parallel. In the new series you have the doctor saving the entire frigging universe in nearly EVER episode, or at the very least a planet. In the old series you have the doctor doing such heroic things as looking for mercury on an undeveloped world! Trying to get back to the tardis to escape! Trying to find missing companions! Or just exploring! Just a "Hey, we're here, but I have no idea where here is and I'm reasonably sure the atmosphere won't kill us the second we open the door. LET'S GO ON AN ADVENTURE!" Pacing again. If you have the entire space time continuum in peril every episode, what's left to risk? Hell, some of my favorite episodes are the ones where the entire thing takes place on the tardis.
And that notion of pacing seems to be one they've forgotten in the new series. Consider EVERY season finale of the last decade or so. Nearly universally they are all almost absurdly over the top. The doctor being saved by people wishing hard enough... Yeah. Full on tinkerbell. I get it, but there's such a thing as subtlety too. Even the master as a villain went from a devious, sociopathic intellectual to cartoon supervillan.
It's not that the new series is bad, it certainly beats the alternative, but something's been lost in translation between 1962 and now. And to me that's a damned tragedy.
If you're looking for a quick and easy jumping on point, and you don't have the patience to sit through the old black and white Hartnells and Troughtons, Start with Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker (Still the quintessential doctor, though Tennant was close). You'll get the advantage of seeing what the series is capable of when they're not competing for ratings.
As Movie Bob once put it in regards to comic books...
START WHEREVER YOU WANT. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
If you see something referencing a previous episode, go look the episode up and watch it if it interests you.
START WHEREVER YOU WANT. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
If you see something referencing a previous episode, go look the episode up and watch it if it interests you.
Personally I started at the 9th doctor due to girlfriend being an avid fan of the show. It makes the most sense because plot elements come up in later episodes but do whatever you want. Worked for me and I really enjoy the show.
*shrugs* I liked the 9th doctor. not as much as the 10th but i thought he was intresting. he's cheerful but has alot of pent up anger for reasons i won't spoil. he mostly grows past this by the time the next doctor comes along.
Basically think of the 9th doctor as a war vet (not an action hero) trying to deal with his battle scars. Like all the doctors he's also funny but he's a bit more war worn than doctors 10 or 11
if nothing else i'd recommend starting with the 9th doctor because there are some important nods to even older doctors that will help you adjust to the doctor who universe.
Basically think of the 9th doctor as a war vet (not an action hero) trying to deal with his battle scars. Like all the doctors he's also funny but he's a bit more war worn than doctors 10 or 11
if nothing else i'd recommend starting with the 9th doctor because there are some important nods to even older doctors that will help you adjust to the doctor who universe.
Ah, good old fan elitism, making sure regular people don't get into something they might enjoy so they can sit in their little throne above the ordinary people. Sure, New Who and Old Who are very different, but that doesn't mean that both haven't had some great stories. I hate Doctor Who's "real" fans for this very reason. They're even more obnoxious than the Sonic fanbase.Xartyve2 said:
(and I didn't like Time Warrior either. If a modern person wants to start with the old series, Spearhead from Space has enough action and fun to appeal to a modern audience and is a much better place to start imo)
I would have said start at the beginning (of the new series, with the ninth doctor), but tonight I saw Blink (Season 3 Episode 10) and I specifically thought `you know this would be an excellent introductory episode'. So yeah, I guess if it were my decision I would start with Blink, and then go back to the beginning and watch it through.
The ninth Doctor (Christopher Ecclestone is the one with a Manchester accent and a leather jacket.XSin said:Thanks for all your help guys, I would just start from Doctor 1 and blitz through EVERYTHING (I really do have that much free time) but the local store doesn't have anything before the 9th.
I think I'll start with 9, maybe skip forward to 10 if it really grates at me but I can really agree with the polarizing comment, had far too many occasions of being caught inside a shouting match between nerd mates over the finer points of the Doctors and then having them all turn on me when I say I've never seen any of it >_<
I've seen scraps of it before walking through the lounge and there was one point that really stuck with me, I always found the Doctor to be whimsical and lighthearted but there was a scene where one of the Doctors (10th?) just got downright scary, he was pissed at someone for something and man. . . can't wait to get to that ep, it had a very cool feel
I liked him, but that might just be because I'm from Yorkshire. He's generally a little more angry and violent than the other Doctors. This was explained in expanded media to be because he was "born into violence". His eighth incarnation was responsible for ending the time war, and did some pretty dark shit, and in his ninth incarnation, he's still grieving. His view on the rest of the universe interests me, and his serious parts are very good.
That said, I'm probably a David Tennant fan. As for Matt Smith, I like his character (but not quite as much) but I wish the episode writers in his seasons would stop acting as though science = magic. If you really get into the reboot, particularly around the ninth and tenth doctors, you should watch the "Torchwood" spinoff (make sure to finish the ninth Doctor first, though).
I've recently gotten into Doctor Who as well. I started with the last episode of the 9th Doctor and went on from there. Of course I already had a bit of prior knowledge going in...I already knew what the TARDIS is, what Time Lords are, who the Daleks are, and the basic formula of the series (the usual SciFi setup--visit someplace new out of curiosity, get swept up into trouble, have to help solve the trouble). There are a few references to characters and events I missed out on, but they do a pretty good job of summarizing the necessary information and giving enough context clues so you aren't totally lost the whole time. With new companions and characters coming in and out the Doctor is always having to re-explain what he is, what he does, and how his techy stuff works.XSin said:
I'm in the 10th Doctor's last series at the moment, but I may yet go back and purchase the 9th Doctor's series just to see what he was like and to see Rose's first adventures with the Doctor. But regardless of where I started, I am very satisfied with the show thus far
Even if you don't end up liking the 9th, his run on the show serves as a primer that doesn't mandate years of back episodes. You could start with another Doctor, yes. But Eccleston's run was designed in part to be an intro of a character that hadn't regularly appeared on the air since the 80s.
Plus, New Who continuity starts there.
Personally, I think season 5 may be the best I've ever seen, and it's sort of self-contained, but I'd still start with Season 1.
Plus, New Who continuity starts there.
Personally, I think season 5 may be the best I've ever seen, and it's sort of self-contained, but I'd still start with Season 1.